Rescue Challenge

WE DO RESCUE

October 24-25, 2018

RTC - Roco Training Center

Roco Rescue Challenge meets the annual rescue practice requirements of 1910.146 while providing
realistic practice drills in all six confined space types. Written documentation will be
provided to each team following the event.

All rescue teams are welcome and observer registration is available.

The event is limited to six (6) teams.

To find out more about the benefits of Challenge for your team, call 800-647-7626 and join us this year.

OSHA Compliance Plus

Learn from participating in realistic rescue scenarios.

Gain confidence in your skills and teamwork abilities.

Enjoy excellent training while interacting with rescue pros.

Share ideas, experiences, and techniques with teams from across the nation.

Document your team’s confined space response capabilities.

Meet annual practice requirements in varying confined spaces types.

Confirm individual skills proficiency.

You can also attend as an observer.

Check our the resources below from past events. If you're not ready to team-up, you can attend as an observer and get a ton of benefits from this one-of-a-kind experience.

Give us a call at 800-647-7626 to register your team, or if you want to register as an observer.

Roco Rescue Challenge 2017

Roco Rescue Challenge 2017 was held at our Confined Space and High Angle Training Facility (RTC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on October 11 & 12. This year we had teams representing Petro-Chemical, Paper Mills, Fertilizer Manufacturing and Municipal Rescuers.

The two-day event included performing rescues from all six (6) confined space types based on OSHA-defined criteria. High Angle and Rescue from Fall Protection were also covered. These practical scenarios offer a realistic test of a team’s ability to perform under stress to both IDLH and non-IDLH atmospheres. Teams were required to triage and treat multiple victims as well as select and use a variety of patient care and packaging choices.

This year there were eight (8) rotation stations for the teams to take on. They included some of the following techniques and problem-solving capabilities:

1) An unconscious rope access worker suspended from fall protection in a narrow shaft. The only way to reach the victim was to ascend the victim’s access line.

2) Dealing with a medical emergency in a multi-level confined space that required both external and internal mechanical advantage systems to remove the patient.

3) Real rescue reenactment: Access and extricate victim that fell into and is trapped in a 24-inch shaft.

4) Rescue from an elevated horizontal entry with multiple victims in an IDLH atmosphere.

5) Access and package a victim from a reactor tower requiring both vertical and horizontal internal rescue systems in an IDLH atmosphere.

8) Multi-faceted Rescue Drill – Tests a team’s ability to adapt and use a variety of rescue techniques and packaging requirements as they move a patient through a gauntlet of rescue stations that traverse throughout the rescue tower.

Rescue Challenge gives teams the unique opportunity to use the equipment and techniques similar to what they would use back at their facilities in an actual rescue, stated Dennis O’Connell, Director of Training for Roco.

He added, “They also get the benefit of comparing their performance and effectiveness to that of other teams performing the same rescue. The teams are exposed to different rescue approaches, which provides a great learning experience in itself.”

Challenge also provides an opportunity to be evaluated by multiple rescue professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds. This year more than 10 different evaluators evaluated each team over the two-day event.

The event is set-up so that a team’s capability or experience level really doesn’t matter. Each team is simply responding like they would if that scenario happened at their facility. For example, some teams bring paramedics and others only have basic First Aid/CPR training. It does not matter – it is all about how are you going to respond and handle that emergency.

So why should you have sent a team to Challenge? Besides getting written documentation on your team’s capability to respond to all six confined space types (practice is required annually by OSHA in applicable types of spaces).

It gets your team out of their comfort zone of training in the same locations over and over.

They get to see what other teams do and use. Teams also get the benefit of being critiqued by professional evaluators in order to correct any deficiencies in techniques and equipment. Lastly, the teams are offered positive feedback and suggestions on how to improve from evaluators with a wide variety of experience in the rescue world.

This year's teams included:

Shell Refinery - Convent, LA

Valero Refinery - Wilmington, CA

CF Industries - Donaldsonville, LA

International Paper - Bogalusa, LA

CHS Refinery - McPherson, KS

Don't miss the chance to register your team for Rescue Challenge 2018!Click here for more information.

Rescue Challenge 2015

Here’s what one of our observers had to say about last year’s event…
"You just can't get everything you need out of a classroom. Coming out and seeing the teams performing different techniques and scenarios allowed us to gain insight that will be used to kick-start our team."

Don't miss the rescue team event of the year!

Call us at 800-647-7626 and reserve your ticket today.

Rescue teams from across the country will participate in realistic confined space rescue exercises designed by Roco’s top instructors. And, although Challenge is more of a learning event than a competition, trophies will be awarded to the teams with top scores for individual skills proficiency and the infamous “Yellow Brick Road” rescue-relay scenario.

Check out the 2015 Roco Rescue Challenge Video

Team Spotlight

Rescue Team Calumet
Superior, WI

Rescue Team Exxon Plastics
Baton Rouge, LA

Rescue Team Lion Oil
El Dorado, AR

Rescue Team Shell-Geismar
Geismar, LA

Rescue Team Motiva-Convent
Convent, LA

Rescue Team Valero
Wilmington, CA

Roco Challenge Evaluators with
Kay Goodwyn, Roco’s president

2015 Roco Rescue Challenge Photos

2014 Roco Rescue Challenge

Recap

Congrats to the 7 excellent teams who participated in 2014 Roco Rescue Challenge this week. There was plenty of learning, and lots of doing, and these guys and gals represent some of the finest industrial rescuers in America.

Thanks to all who made this year's event a success, and to the hard working emergency responders who dedicate their lives to saving others!

2014 Roco Rescue Challenge Photos

2013 Roco Rescue Challenge

Recap

Roco Rescue Challenge 2013 came to a close on Thursday, October 10 with a great sense of camaraderie. Teams benefited by sharing techniques, strategies and accomplishments. All seven participating teams did an extraordinary job. Congratulations to each and every one of you!

Director of Training, Dennis O’Connell summed Rescue Challenge up eloquently. “Hope you never run into a scenario in real life as hard as the ones you've had at Challenge ’13,” he chuckled as he gave the closing remarks.

2013 Roco Rescue Challenge Photos

2012 Roco Rescue Challenge

2012 Roco Rescue Challenge Photos

2011 Roco Rescue Challenge

Recap

Valero Energy Corporation pledges “consistent, high-quality products” but its most important measure of success is the “health and safety of its employees, contractors, customers and neighbors.” So, it’s no surprise that Valero sends its rescue teams to the Roco Challenge. One Valero team member professed that while Roco’s Rescue Challenge was indeed “very challenging,” he also added that his team benefited from the communication, leadership, safety awareness, problem-solving experience and teamwork.

Valero invests in emergency preparedness and response training to ensure that employees are prepared to respond quickly to any emergency. The company is committed to “frequent training for all personnel in emergency management, incident command and tactical operations.”

Each of Valero’s four rescue teams, one for each of their shifts, completes quarterly training that covers IPE’s (Individual Performance Evaluations), TPE’s (Team Performance Evaluations), High Angle Rescue, Confined Space Rescue and Team Building.

With its recordable-injury rate among the lowest in the industry, the Valero teams have been fortunate not to have to use their skills in a real rescue, but without a doubt will be ready in case an emergency arises.